Through the Fire
by applesandcherries
Summary: Maelstrom addition. Laura is needed on Galactica, to help Bill through his loss. With an appearance by a devastated Lee. AR


_A/N:_ Hey everyone. It's been a while since I got around to writing and actually posting a story. This one's just another Maelstorm addition, because I was urged by a friend to write one. And I'm quite happy how it turned out. So, please enjoy reading and drop me a line of what you think! That would be much appreciated. :)

_Disclaimer:_ The characters aren't mine, and I'm not making any money out of this. You know the drill ;)

Her thoughts were in turmoil after Tory had called her out of her meeting with her Vice President.

There had been an accident with one of the pilots her aide had said – and it was imperative for the President to be on _Galactica_.

So Laura had hurried to her shuttle, brows furrowed and her mind racing.

The shuttle ride passed in a blur and before she knew it, she was already standing in the Battlestar's hangar deck, at once feeling the crushed spirits of the crew, the dark atmosphere creeping over her skin.

The president shuddered.

She looked around. It wasn't what she was used to; where there was usually a bustle of activity, there were now silent and depressed people at work. Still efficient, yes, but everything was subdued nonetheless.

She stood, unnoticed, her eyes drifting. Her sharp gaze stopped, when her emerald eyes settled on a forlorn figure, sitting hunched over under a Viper. She didn't need her glasses to see that it was Adama's only remaining son. Roslin sighed and forced her legs into action, walking the remaining distance between them slowly. She felt a few eyes following her, but took no further notice.

When she came to a halt in front of him, her shadow fell over him, but he didn't react. Not thinking twice, she lowered herself to her knees, her hands finding a place on the young mans forearms, which were holding his legs to his chest, his head lowered so that she couldn't see his face.

"Lee?", she asked softly, inquiring what was wrong. He took a shuddering breath and finally acknowledged her presence. Lifting his head, she had to suppress a gasp from escaping her at the desperation she saw in his eyes.

"Please. What happened?", Laura whispered, ignoring her protesting knees. She wasn't twenty anymore, after all.

He only looked at her for a few long moments, searching her eyes for an answer himself, it seemed.

His blue eyes were bloodshot and he nearly choked on the one word he managed to get out.

"Kara..."

The redhead's eyes widened, as she finally put two and two together and without hesitation, she shifted to his side and hugged him to her, his face burying itself into her neck and he clung to her like she was his lifeline. And maybe, in that one moment, she was.

Laura's heart contracted in her chest, not only for Kara, but especially for the pain that this young man in her arms, who, by all intents and purposes was like a son to her, and his father were suffering right now.

His father, who she had given her heart to a long time ago. She sighed softly, preventing her thoughts from taking that road right now, and directed her attention back to Lee, who was now silently sobbing into her neck. She gently rubbed his back in slow circles, trying to soothe him like a mother would her child after it had awoken from a nightmare.

Roslin shortly wondered at the picture they made, the President and CAG huddled together on the floor of the hangar deck and she decided that she couldn't care less.

An eerie silence filled the hangar deck as the crew grieved for one of their own, the two persons huddling in the middle just another two hurting souls.  
A wrench that had been quickly discarded and precariously balanced on some other tools finally lost it's fight against gravity and loudly clanged on the floor breaking the moment.  
Embarrassed, Lee drew slightly away from her, and wiped over his face that was by now turned away from her.

Laying a hand on his shoulder, she squeezed it softly, willing him to turn back to her. He hesitated another moment, before following her silent request.

She met his gaze, her eyes conveying her sympathy.

"I'm not going to lie to you. The pain will never go away completely, but it will get easier to endure with time.", she promised. He locked eyes with her, nodding, believing her.

For a second, she saw her Captain Apollo sitting in front of her, showing her his unwavering faith in her abilities and in her person. But then, the moment was gone and with a sigh, she leaned forward, dropping a chaste kiss onto his forehead, before getting up.

He caught her hand, when she was about to turn around and continue on her way. Instead, she looked back down at him and had to concentrate to catch his strained words.

"Thank you."

She smiled sadly and nodded, giving his hand a light squeeze, before letting go.

Laura couldn't do anymore for him at the moment and she had another place to be right now.

&-&-&

Her trip through _Galactica_'s corridors to the Admiral's quarters was a silent one. Everyone she passed seemed lost in their own thoughts, grief showing on their faces.

She hurried onward, now more than ever determined to reach Adama's cabin. The faster, the better.

Two minutes later, she stood in front of his hatch, feeling unusually nervous. Did he really need her, as Tory had said? What if he didn't want to see her right now?

Swallowing hard, she raised her hand and knocked. No answer came. She hadn't really expected one, but propriety called for it. Sighing, she gave the hatch a sharp tug and opened it. Before she could talk herself out of it she was already inside, the hatch falling shut behind her.

The contrast to the bright, stark corridors outside was striking and her eyes had trouble adjusting to the dim light. When they did, however, the first thing she noticed were the broken and shattered remnants of Bill's once beautiful model ship. Her eyes welled up at the sight and when her gaze found his, at the other side of the room, the first treacherous tear escaped and rolled down her pale cheek.

He was slumped against a wall, cowering on the floor. A bottle of what she took as one of the chiefs moonshine, was clutched in his right hand.

Kicking off her shoes, she strode quickly over to him, sinking down beside him.

Taking the glass out of his hand and carefully placing it out of reach, she next folded him into her arms and he leaned willingly into her. She had the vague sense of a déjà vu, sitting here like this, before shaking the thought from her mind.

It wasn't long before she could feel his tears wetting her skin through her thin blouse and by now, her own tears came inexorably.

She backed off a little, caressing his hair and pressing her lips against his temple. Laura tightened her arms around him protectively, hoping to make her unspoken message clear to him. A rumble escaped his chest and a second later, his arms had wound themselves around her in turn.

She smiled against his skin, a small, sad smile. It always amazed her, nowadays, how far they had come from the first time she had set foot into this very room; when she had called his bluff about Earth and they had formed a tedious truce.

Time passed in silence, neither feeling it necessary to break their newfound intimacy with futile words.

But when the floor became too hard, their bones too tired and their minds too weary, they slowly got back to their feet and Laura lead the way to his rack before he could protest.

Getting rid of her suit jacket and then turning back the covers, she crawled onto the narrow space and waited for him to follow her lead.

He just looked at her for a second, confusion written on his features, before his mind could catch up with her actions. When it finally did, he sat down on the edge of the rack, loosening his shoelaces before kicking them off as well. Turning around, he found her smiling patiently at him.

And in that moment, he wondered again, for the hundredth time since he met her, why he deserved this wonderful woman. All he could do was smile back at her and watch how she laid down, her head resting on his pillow, her auburn hear spread around her like a beautiful halo.

He couldn't resist any longer and rested his tired body beside her, facing her. He tugged on the blankets, until they were spread out over them.

They just lay there for a while, staring at each other and Bill got lost in her green orbs. An urge took hold of him then, and he leaned forward, dropping a kiss onto her lips. Surprise showed in her eyes, but then another smile graced her lovely features, making his old and weary heart skip in his chest.

Her left hand reached up, a finger trailing along his jawline, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

"Sleep, Bill. You'll need all your strength tomorrow. We'll find a way to handle all this, then", she whispered and he nodded, closing his eyes.

Their hands grasped each other on their own volition, resting between their bodies, neither wanting to break the contact, as they drifted off to sleep.

_End_


End file.
